a day ago
Sidmouth might be vanilla, but at least there are no arcades
Some 250 million years ago, displays at the excellent little Sidmouth Museum inform me that dinosaurs roamed this area. To suggest not much has changed might be a little unkind – but maybe only a little. The grey pound reigns in Sidmouth, a Devon town sometimes dubbed 'God's waiting room', particularly outside school holidays. 'Watch out for belligerent mobility scooter owners,' one local warned me, 'or they'll mow you down.'
Wedged in the narrow cleft of the Sid Valley, midway along the Jurassic Coast, Sidmouth was a modest fishing village before Napoleon curtailed continental travel, bringing 'persons of quality' flocking. Hotels sprang up alongside stately Georgian houses – the oldest, Fortfield Terrace, dating from the 1790s, still gazes across impeccable and bustling croquet lawns, tennis courts, bowls greens and a cricket pitch.
A distinctly genteel brand of tourism boomed, attracting notables from Jane Austen to the future Queen Victoria, who briefly stayed in Woolbrook Cottage (now the Royal Glen Hotel) in 1819. Sidmouth's star rose through the 19th century and sailed through the 20th – perhaps because of its determinedly old-fashioned flavour. Preserved in aspic or simply chilled?
What's Sidmouth really like?
Gleaming and pristine. There are no amusement arcades or pantos on the pier – no pier, in fact – no kebab vans or dodgy sports bars. Buckets and spades, yes: help yourself from the pin-neat Sidmouth Beach Toy Library. The only donkeys live in pampered bliss at a huge (and hugely engaging) sanctuary.
Change may be glacial, but it's afoot. In recent years Town Beach gained a swathe of sand after breakwaters were installed. (To the west, shingly Jacob's Ladder Beach is family rockpooling heaven.) Inland, old-school galleries and antiques shops are increasingly interspersed with newer independent outlets, and traditional tearooms augmented by modern cafés like Kapes kiosk, thronged by under-50s sipping specialist coffees.
Another welcome update is the grassroots arts explosion sparked by Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub, seeding pockets of creativity across town. 'There are lots of artists here,' explains SCCH powerhouse Louise Cole, 'and public art is helping raise Sidmouth's cultural profile.' Their multi-generational Sea Fest (May) augments an impressive roster of events celebrating jazz and blues, science, sailing, walking, while August's renowned Folk Festival launched 70 years ago.
Accommodation is slower to catch up, though the more contemporary stylings of Harbour Hotel (B&B doubles from £135), recently body-doubled as a luxury cruise ship in Bollywood comedy whodunnit Housefull 5, released in June.
What's not to love?
Sidmouth can feel a little… vanilla – and not just the whitewashed Regency architecture.
The over-70s who throng cafés and shops during daylight hours evaporate after sundown, so not much opens late. When I asked one youthful server where to go for a lively evening, he mused for a moment, then replied: 'Catch the number 9 bus to Exeter.'
'The night-time economy needs a boost, with more for young people to do, in particular,' affirms Coco Hodgkinson of SCCH.
The resort's other main audience, families, is highly seasonal. Outside school holidays, many attractions reduce opening hours or days. And though there are plenty of big, long-established hotels and self-catering properties, B&Bs are dwindling.
'There's a distinct lack of car parking, and creating more is challenging because of the geography,' observes Tom Seward, owner of Kapes.
In truth, though, grumbles are minor. 'The seagulls can be annoying, and of course it can get busy in summer, but really there is not much not to like,' says Ian Gregory, a retired resident who's visited regularly since the Sixties. 'There's only one PCSO – that says a lot about the town.'
What to do
Sunny? Head up to High Peak (if you've the stamina) for sensational views along the cliffs and over Sidmouth. For a more sedate stroll, pass the early 19th-century Old Toll House ('the prettiest council house in England') and amble the Byes, an alluring path meandering through a ribbon of shady riverside greenery. Alternatively, ride the waves aboard a SUP, surfboard or kayak hired from Jurassic Paddle Sports.
Rainy? The Toy & Model Museum is a nostalgic Aladdin's cave crammed with Matchbox cars, Steiff bears, vintage board games, model railways and boats, plus Star Wars, James Bond, Sylvanian Families, and Dr Who and Harry Potter collections to appeal to younger visitors.
Where to eat
The Clock Tower, in maze-like Connaught Gardens, between the beaches, is legendary for its voluptuous wedges of cake.
Surprises lurk inside the retro-looking Dairy Shop deli and café. Sure, you can indulge in a lush Devon cream tea served on floral bone china, or pick up a range of seaweed-flavour beers, Sidmouth Gin, and Ebb Tides vegan Seaweed Caviar – 'great on blinis, avocado or crab', says founder and owner John Hammond.
Generations of the Bagwell family have dispensed fresh fish from Sidmouth Trawlers, tucked away at the eastern end of the front. Today, genial Val sells cooked and prepared crab, prawns, mussels, lobsters, whelks and cockles.
What not to do
Chunks of rock frequently cleave from the cliffs at the eastern end of Town Beach – beware. Don't neglect to check tide times: Town Beach's sandy stretches vanish at high water.
'The pebbles are large and hard to walk on, so you do this embarrassing, ungainly walk back to your towel,' says Sarah McPherson. 'It's a good idea to wear water shoes' – which also protect against weever fish stings.
Don't wander between rock islands when the tide's going out, either – the rip can be vicious.
And don't plan a big night out, unless your idea of a pumping gig is watching the (well-respected) Sidmouth Town Band playing Connaught Gardens on a Sunday evening.
From a local…
'We've got a phenomenal cricket ground with a cheeky little clubhouse, so you can get a pint and watch the cricket from your deck chair – old school but quite relaxing and enjoyable,' says John Crouch, who moved here from London 20 years ago. 'But young people here need a really groovy pub, which Sidmouth hasn't got yet. It does die slightly out of season, too.'
From a tourist…
'Sidmouth's managed to avoid becoming a tacky seaside tourist town,' says Sarah McPherson. 'It's so well kept: there are flowers everywhere, the sea front still has a lovely Regency feel – no arcades or anything like that – and there are nice loos.'
'It's kind of old fashioned and traditional, like nothing's changed much,' say Ian and Jane Johnstone from Ayrshire. 'Though we were just saying we prefer Brixham and Dartmouth.'
How to get there
Sidmouth's branch line fell victim to Beeching's axe – so there's no rail service. Frequent 9 and 9A buses reach Exeter in about 45 minutes; number 9 also serves Honiton, which is about 30 minutes away and offers the nearest train station.
